


A dragon's hoard

by mydeardeath



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Curses, King Bruce Wayne, M/M, Prince Damian Wayne
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 07:43:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13476870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydeardeath/pseuds/mydeardeath
Summary: Dragons had always been part of tales in Gotham. They were fascinating creature after all. But they weren't supposed to be real. Nobody, except the old Lady Drake, believed in them. That is, until the Crown Prince is taken by one of them during his birthday party.





	1. Chapter 1

_The Drake was one of the most powerful families of the Kingdom of Gotham. They owned the largest land, one that had once been mostly inhabited by savage that refused to follow the rules of the King, that nobody had dared to venture to until the Drake had conquered it. The life on this land was harder than in other counties with the rude winters in the mountain and the arid plains where almost nothing grew, but people had started to come, reassured by the Drake presence. Part of their fame and success was due to their competence as Dragon Hunters. Dragons had been one of the reasons why leaving in this land was dangerous and the Drake had eliminated this threat. They had explored the fallen Dragons lair and taken their hoard for them, becoming richer than anyone in the kingdom. The King himself often consulted the Drake on the kingdom matters, to ensured their support._

_Emboldened by his parents' triumph, Charles Drake had wanted to slay a Dragon himself but there wasn't any left in this land. So when he reached adulthood, he left Gotham to find one. He returned with a Dragon scale to prove to everyone his victory over the beast and for a fortnight after his return all was well. They celebrated his success with a grand feast and dances for a few day and his wife gave birth to a healthy boy : Jack Drake._

_But their happiness didn't last long. In his quest for reconnaissance, Charles had gone after an innocent Dragon, one that hadn't hurt anyone and that didn't deserve to die just to satiate a man's ego. So, one day the Drake family was visited by a spirit that cursed Charles, his wife, and son. They themselves became dragons and were to stay in this form until they learned to respect the ones they had hunted._

_So Charles fleed with his family, afraid they would be killed. His parents stayed behind, still humans. They helped Charles built a house high in the mountains, away from humans villages. Their tragic fate spread in all the kingdom, yet the rumor was never confirmed. The only thing people knew for sure is that nobody ever saw Charles Drake from this day on._

 

***

 

This was ridiculous. Damian didn't understand why they had to go through this, they were royalty after all, they didn't owe anything to anyone. Yet, here he was dressed in white silk of the highest quality, covered in jewels and paraded in the street. Today marked his coming of age and the entire kingdom seemed to have come to the capital to celebrate it. Well, at least all the nobles and the wealthy, all with the same hope : marry their daughter to the prince. His father had refused any engagement, telling everyone that Damian would get to choose once he was eighteen. And obviously, they all had remembered. To be fair, they had started to fight for his hand far before his eighteenth birthday but before they had least tried to be subtle. Nothing seemed to deter this vultures. He had tried the gay card which wasn't at all effective. His preference didn't seem to matter as he would need an heir if he was to be king. They just proposed him to take a paramour, all their daughter ready to "accept it". As if he needed their authorization ! But even his father had agreed that he would need a child, need an heir. Some had suggested he renounced to the throne, probably hoping that Dick, the king oldest ward, would take it instead. They took Dick gentleness as naivety and thought they would be able to manipulate him more easily. Nobles were ridiculous.

After the march through the capital, he was to endure a ball, one he could not evade as it was in his honor and his absence would quickly be noticed. So he stayed in the ballroom, dancing with all the unmarried girls and groped by the older ones. And despite the growing need, he didn't touch more than one drink so the kingdom wouldn't worry about his "apparent alcoholism" like they had done with Jason after he had been sighted in a pub the day following his own coming of age. Most of the girls he waltzed with were insipid and boring. Thankfully, due to his reputation; he didn't have to bother with a faux smile. He didn't try to pretend to be interested in anything they were saying which did nothing to deter them. They did not care about it, only his status mattered.  
He was saved from his suitor by the member of his father council. Not that they were any better. They kept praising him, his strength and his intelligence while just a few months ago they had criticized all his idea until they had been reminded of his age. They all wanted his favor to gain power in the council. Some even went to propose him to teach him everything about "lovemaking" with a man so he could have a blooming sexual life when he chose a paramour. As if he would want so old decrepit man that probably didn't know how to please anyone but himself.

The only one he didn't mind talking to was Lady Drake. She was a really old lady, but not one to pinch his cheek telling him he looked precious or "a beauty worthy of being taken by a dragon" (one of the most frequent and stupid "compliment" used by dodderer toward young ladies and exceptionally young lords.). And nobody dared come bother him when she was with him, she was far too powerful for that. Her lack of heir had enhanced said power, as all hoped for a part of her wealth when she would inevitably die. And despite her advanced age, she was still quick-witted and they could discuss for hours without Damian getting bored. Sometimes she would wander to fantasy, talking about dragons as though they were real creatures and not just tale to scare young children. But Damian, while he thought the idea of dragon ludicrous, didn't mind her oddness. She was good at telling stories and it was often a welcome distraction.

Lady Drake eventually retired from the party, not able to stay awake at wee hours as she used to in his youth. Damian didn't have to wait long after she had left his size to be assaulted anew by nobles. He was envious of the lady, he would have liked as well to escape from the room and its dull people. But he was discouraged from doing so by his father gaze. He had promised to stay at least until two in the morning and had still more than one hour to go at.

Ignoring several offers to dance, he started searching for his "big brothers". They liked to call themselves that, always talking about their duty as older brothers. It was mainly an excuse to baby him, they had barely changed the way they treated him in the last six years even if he had grown from kid to adult. Dick took seriously his role as big brother but Jason mostly did it to rouse him. Damian had hoped to take advantage of it tonight, using his brothers to shield him from the dangerous predators that were the young ladies in attendance.

However, to Damian despair, it seemed that Dick didn't have more luck than him, surrounded by his own crowd of invasive aristocrats. Two women were splattered to him, each one to a hip, their hands on his chest like a sign of ownership. The competition was tough as they were a dozen of women in Dick's company, all of them trying to catch his attention by miscellaneous means. Some of them had corset so tightly bound that their breasts seemed about to burst out of it. Yet, as much as they could bend toward Dick to give him a better view, his brother eyes never wandered below their faces.

So Dick wasn't an option at the moment. He scanned the crowd for Jason, careful to never stop. Being still for just a few seconds could be perceived as an invitation. He searched the entire room, not forgetting a single corner, before it became clear that Jason had managed to sneak out unnoticed. Lucky him. It also meant that he would get no help from his brothers. His father wasn't either an option and Cassandra wasn't even here. She was rarely in the capital nowadays. She had always been discreet and, apparently, it allowed her to go explore the world without the court noticing her absence. Maybe he should have done the same. But considering he was the king only biological son it seemed unlikely that nobles could have under any circumstances forgotten about his existence.

Damian didn't have much choice but to resign himself to endure innocuous highborns for one more hour. An opportunity presented itself to him when a tray full of glasses shattered to the ground. The commotion was loud enough to attract everyone attention and he took this occasion to slide through a balcony door and close it behind himself. He couldn't leave as he had to make a final appearance that would signal the end of the party. If his father found out he had been hiding on a balcony, he could just pretend he had been here for only five minutes to take some fresh air. Nonetheless, he was careful to blend in the shadow so no one would see him from the inside and join him. The isolation offered by his hideout could make some people bold. Well, bolder than some already were.

The cold air of the night hit him, his clothes were doing nothing to warm him. In fact, they were supposed to keep him from getting warm so he wouldn't overheat in the ballroom. But Damian didn't care in the slightest, the bite of the cold was more pleasant than the party going inside. Plus he had his glass of whiskey, still half full, to warm him. He started to sip his drink slowly when he heard a strange noise behind him, as if something had scratched against the brick of the roof. Damian didn't see anything when he looked up, yet he had the sensation of being observed. He was probably getting paranoid after the event of the evening, so he dismissed the feeling and went back to his drink.

Just a few minutes later he heard a deep huff of breath that couldn't have come from a human. He tensed automatically, his feet moving to face the unknown threat. He didn't manage to get a look at the beast as its claws had already ensnared his waist and before he knew it, his feet weren't touching the floor beneath him. He struggled in the creature grip, his legs battling uselessly in the air, and his glass slipped from his fingers when he tried to free himself from the beast clutch with his hands.

He should probably call for help, but he didn't want anyone to see him in such a state, unable to defend himself. Dick would without a doubt tease him mercilessly if he was the one to save him. If only he had brought his sword. His father had forbidden him from taking it, fearing that he would snap at one point while having to go through an entire day surrounded by stupid people.

Damian was still trying to loosen the creature grip on his waist when a cry pierced the silence. A middle-aged woman had opened the balcony door and was frozen in its entrance. Then two things happened at the same time : all the party seemed to gather at the windows, some shouting the word"Dragon", and he was violently projected in the air as the beast (dragon ?) jump in the sky. He heard his father calling after him in a horrified voice. His father was strong and a knowledgeable man but he had never encountered any dragon. Bruce was known, by his family and friends at least, to have contingency plans for everything. Almost everything. Dragons had never been something they took seriously. So, for the moment, Damian was on his own.

The strength of the sudden move cut the prince breath for a few instant, leaving him with a searing pain in his chest. The speed at which they were going didn't help either. Damian felt as if he was going to throw up, his inside being shaken in all direction. This wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. If he had been cold on the balcony, it was nothing compared to now. He was completely frozen, covered by thin clothes and flying at high speed in the glacial wind of the night. At this rhythm he wouldn't have to worry about the dragon intention, he was going to die from hypothermia before that. His fingers were already starting to go numb and soon he would be too weak to move. He was on the verge of passing out when he began to feel warmth where the dragon skin was touching his own. Between the scales of the beast, he could see its skin glowing slightly as if a fire had been lit inside him. And why not ? If Dragons were real, so their rumored ability to spit fire could be too.

Despite the dragon apparent effort to keep him alive, he had been too dizzy to stay awake and had drifted slowly to sleep. He didn't know how much had passed when he woke up. As he had no mean to know for how long they had flown and in which directions, he had no idea where he was. It would make his return home harder. But it wouldn't be enough to deter him. He was a prince, he wouldn't end alone in a strange land, eaten by a fucking dragon !

He wasn't really sure that the Dragon planned to eat him. He had been laid on soft furs, near the hearth where a fire was still slightly burning. The whole room was pretty cozy, entirely covered in enough furs and pillow that the floor had disappeared. It was like a giant bed, and maybe it was. Maybe this was where the dragon usually slept.

For the moment Damian was alone, an opportunity he couldn't waste. He got up on his shaking legs and went for the door. Although he had difficulty opening it, it wasn't locked just old and rusty. The door led to a wide hall illuminated by the cold light of the winter sun entering through the large windows. He just took a glance for Damian to realize that he was on a mountain, at a high point.  
The forest outside the castle - he could be nothing else than a castle judging by the size of the rooms and the quality of the wood flooring - was bare. The trees had lost their foliages thus he would have to move fast and never stop if he wanted to escape as the forest would offer no cover from the sky. The tree trunks would probably break like little wood under the beast weight.

He didn't have the time to plot his evasion before the rustling of wings echoed outside. The dragon was already back and running into the forest was no longer an option. But he could still evade the creature. Surely, dragons were gigantic being. So the one that had taken him couldn't possibly have access to all the room. He would just have to hide in one with a small door.

Damian went to the first floor, the rooms downstairs were made for holding parties and were generally bigger than private quarters. He chose the narrower corridor and picked a room without a window opening onto the front yard so the dragon wouldn't break it to grab him. It was a small bedroom, perhaps for a maid, with a single bed and basic furniture. Everything was covered in dust, making his nose hitch in discomfort. He restrained himself from making any noise to not betray his location. He tried to open the closet but it creaked too much so he gave up. He had hoped to find other clothes as he had started shivering again. There was no fire to warm him in here.

He waited for the dragon to come for him, tear apart the door and snag him but nothing happened. The castle remained silent. No roar of anger. No claws scratching against the wall.

Hours passed and the sun declined, and the dragon never came to find him. Tired and freezing, he shook the sheets and pillows before settling on the bed, fold back on himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on tumblr : https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/170587026236/a-dragons-hoard-part-1


	2. Chapter 2

When he opened his eyes, he was still in the same room. Still alive. But something had changed. The room was perfectly clean and clothes had been laid on a chair. This meant there were humans in the castle. Humans working, willingly or not, for the dragon. They could either help him escape or prevent him from doing so. He would have to be wary of them.

The pants were simple black slack, a bit short for him but still comfortable. They came with a dark green tunic that brought out the color of his eyes. Both were far warmer than his previous outfit, but not made to survive in the freezing weather. Plus they didn't give him new shoes and the fancy one he was wearing wouldn't support a trek through the mountains, especially if he had to walk for a few weeks.

Once he had changed, he tiptoed to the door and put his ears against the hard wood. He could hear movement from the other side. The noises were pretty faint so whatever it was, did not stand outside his room. As much as he had been careful, the door had creaked when he opened it. He headed toward the source of the noises that seemed to come from the other end of the corridor.

All the doors were opened, people bustling around carrying fresh sheets, dusting the furniture, washing the windows, waxing the floor and oiling the door seal. They were at least six of them in this part of the castle, apparently to make it liveable again. But why ? Did they live there too ? Had the Dragon abducted them ? If they had been kidnapped, how long ago had it happened for them to renounce to escape and resigned themselves to live here ? He stood there watching them dumbfounded until one of them noticed him.

A middle age woman dressed in a typical maid outfit looked up at him and offered him a sweet smile : "You're finally awake, boy ! Come with me, you must be starving ! Timothy told me you had had nothing to eat since you arrived."

Without a pause, she grabbed his arm drug him down the stairs to lead him to the kitchen. The smell hit him as soon as he entered the room. He had not eaten in more than a day and the sight of eggs cooking in the pan and the smell of freshly baked bread made him salivate. But Damian was a prince, he would be undignified for him to rush to the food.

The woman had still a hand on his arm and pushed onto a chair. Right after that, a young boy with wild red hair placed a plate in front of him, glancing at him timidly from behind his locks. They were all eyeing him curiously, in a more obvious way for some of them. He was probably the reaction each time a new face appeared. Or maybe they could tell who he was ? The one that had cleaned the room he had slept in might have seen his clothes and deduced he was royalty, or at least a noble.

He had started to pick at his food when a man in his sixties sat down in front of him offering him gentle smile.

"I guess that you have a lot of question about this place and why you are here ?" Damian simply nodded to show the man he had his attention. "I was born in this castle, my parents worked here for Mr.Drake and his wife. I have never met her, she left his husband before my birth. She couldn't stand him as he had become bitter as the years passed. They had a son, Jack, that liked to go explore the world. He was rarely home from what I remember so when his father, Mr. Drake, disappeared, he dismissed all the persons that worked and lived here. Then, two decades ago, rumors of him being back spread. Rumors that proved to be true. He was back but not alone, he was accompanied by a...woman and their child. They didn't stay long. They basically just dropped their baby and left. Their son, Timothy regularly came to the villages close to the mountain. Not just for food but for knowledge too. He was a very curious kid. And as he became older, he started to hoard knowledge. That why we are here. We are part of his hoard. All of us, me and you as well."

"Hoard ? Are you insinuating that this Timothy is a Dragon ?"

The old man let out a little laugh at that : "I guess that most people that have never seen one with their own eyes rarely believe in their existence. But, yes the Drakes are Dragons."

"The Drakes as in the noble family ?"

"Ah yes, the curse of the Drake family ! We have all heard of it. Truly, I don't know more than you if it is legend or reality. He could be. Or he could be tale born from Mr. Drake human name and familiarity with humans. Most don't think that Dragon can be as intelligent as humans, don't think that beast could take an interest in our civilization unless they are themselves part of it or at least used to."

Damian had still difficulties believing the man. Dragons had never been a thing he had believed in. He probably still would have doubts until being face to face with the creature in broad daylight to accept their existence.  
And anyway, what kind of name for a dragon was "Timothy"? It was more sweet than intimidating.

"Have you tried to escape ?"

"Escape ?" The old man burst into a loud laughter, his entire fragile frame shaking. "I have never lived more comfortably than now, we all do. Why would any of us want to leave ? We were authorized to bring our family. Their nothing more for us in the villages down the mountain."

"Well there is for me and I don't intend to stay here."

"Then let us give you better clothes for this weather."

"You're helping me ?"

"It would be a shame if you died before Timothy brought you back. Because he will."

The old man insisted he finished eating while the boy fetched boots and a fur coat for him. He didn't care that the man thought he would not manage to reach Gotham, he would try. He had to. He wasn't one to give up so easily. So by noon, he was out of the castle with his new outfits and non-perishable food offered by the cooks. They didn't bother with wishing him a safe travel, all convinced he would be back in no time but they still gave him a map so he could go in the right direction. He was a bit suspicious of it, they could easily offer the same information to the Dragon so he would find him quickly. But he hadn't much of a choice : it was either that or wander haphazardly in the wild lands.

The first hours, he swallowed kilometers with a steady and fast pace, helped by the afternoon sun. He could probably go for one more hour but after that he would have to start looking for shelter. Passing the night outside would be suicide. The cold could easily take him and if he made a fire it would probably attract predators. So it would be either die of hypothermia or be eaten alive by wolves.

As luck didn't seem to be on Damian side for the past two days, it began to snow. At first, it was just a few snowflakes that melted almost immediately. But soon his vision was obstructed and he could barely perceive the trees surrounding him. He had spotted an excavation a bit earlier. He didn't like to have to turn back, but it was the safest solution. He had no guarantee it would stumble upon another shelter before it was too late.

The inside of the cave was dry, protected from the snow and the wind. But the cold had managed to sneak inside. The entry was narrow enough that he didn't worry much about animals. Nonetheless, he was still frozen to the bone. He put off his wet clothes with trembling fingers, he wrapped himself in the thick blankets he had been given by the castle inhabitants. He fell asleep curled up on the hard ground, shivering.

It was still dark when he opened his eyes once again. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear something against the stones at the cave entry, as if something was trying to come in. He wanted to get up, to be ready to face up against whatever the threat was.

He realized at this instant that in his haste, he hadn't thought to ask for a weapon. Not that it would matter right now as he couldn't even move. His whole body was numb and he could barely move, even less fight. The sound of stones shifting and hitting the ground seemed to grow louder as time passed. Damian was still trying to will his body to move when the heap of rock blocking the cave opening broke down under his assailant onslaught.

Soon the creature was in the cave, his breathing echoing against the wall. Whatever it was, the beast was massive. Damian couldn't tell what it looked like, it was too dark for that. Yet it wasn't hard to guess that the old man had been right. The dragon had found him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://mydeardeath.tumblr.com/post/170810531506/a-dragon-hoard-part-2


	3. Chapter 3

He was alive.

He was still alive.

The dragon hadn't hunted him down to kill him. Instead, he was sleeping beside him, one of his wings protecting the young prince from the cold. Should he take advantage of the fact that the creature was asleep to escape ? Probably not a good idea. His clothes were partly under the Dragon so he had no chance of putting them back while Timothy was still sleeping. Getting out solely wrapped in a blanket would be utterly stupid. And Damian was not stupid. He would let the Dragon take him back to the castle and would have to convince the beast to bring him back to the Capital. He was raised as the heir to the throne, negotiation and manipulation (even if his father would never put it that way) had been part of his education. The old man had said that Dragons, or at least the Drake, were not so different from humans, so it was not impossible to deal with the creature. And Damian was nothing if determined.

The prince got up to his feet and shook (or tried to) the beast so Timothy would wake up. Which didn't have much effect. Damian resolved to shoot insults had the unmoving mass when Timothy finally open his eyes. Damian froze instantly under his gaze. The dragon iris were a deep blue that seemed to pierce through Damian mind. The young prince stood petrified when the beast started to straighten, shaking slightly his wings. His scales, except for a few touches of red around their peaks, were totally black, making him blend easily in the shadows. That probably why Damian had not noticed him the night he had been abducted.

Despite considering himself courageous and brave, panic overwhelmed in an almost supernatural way and he ran. He did not think about his clothes nor his shoes, he just fled, unable to think clearly any longer. He didn't stop to look behind him when he heard rocks falling on the ground. Nor when the sound of wings spreading in the sky pierced the calm of the forest. His heart was beating wildly and he could barely concentrate on anything other than the ground under his feet. He had never felt so terrified of his life and part of him knew that this fear was irrational, yet he couldn't stop running. And then there was silence around him. The only sound was the one of his own panted breath. So when a few minutes later the beast appeared right in front of him, Damian came suddenly to a halt, falling on the ground with force as the abrupt change of speed made him lose his footing.

He was now facing the Dragon in his fall height. He must confess he wasn't impressed. Weren't they supposed to be gigantic ? The one before was pretty tiny compared to what tales told. He was probably three meters tall, four at most, and was more skinny than he had expected. Nothing really scary. Yet, he was still feeling panicky. That was confirmation that what he was experiencing was not natural but knowing it didn't change the fact that he could no longer control his body.  
Next thing he knew he was back in the castle. He had passed out. Again. Like a pathetic weakling. He was getting tired of this. He was not some puppet to be dragged along. This time he would finally talk to that stupid creature and give him a piece of his mind. He would, really, just not now. He needed to find clothes first. It's only covered in one of the fluffy pieces of furs from the Dragon room, the first he had seen in the castle, that he went searching for one of the humans inhabiting the mansion.

"I told you that you would be back in no time, boy." The old man stood near the kitchen entrance, an amused smile on his lips.

"tt" Damian threw him a withering glare. He didn't care what they all thought, he would find a way to go back home.  
He brushed past the old man to enter the room. The cook was in the room and welcome him with a warm smile.

"Come boy, there's some stew left if you're hungry."

"I'm vegetarian" He barked at her.

"Not a problem, I will find you something darling !" She added without missing a beat, not bothering in the slightest by how rude he had sounded.

While he ate, the cook sent the old man to fetch some clothes for him as he was still wearing only a blanket. It was the red hair boy that brought them to him, still not daring to look at him in the eyes. Once his stomach was full and he had put on some clothes, Damian went to explore the castle. Until now, he had only been in the main part of the castle but he had yet to investigate the two adjacent wings. He had overheard the cook say that Timothy was still here so the dragon was probably in one of them as the only room being large enough for him in the main part were the hall and the one he had woken up in. Apparently, Damian had been out for only a couple of hours.

It was evident at the first look that the east wing wasn't being used. The main room was covered in dust, no one having been there in what must be years. Still, despite the state of the room, he could discern the people whose painting hung on the wall. They were members of the Drake family. It could be a confirmation of the veracity of the rumors around the Dragon living here. Or maybe he had just settled into a castle having belonged to said family. It wasn't proof, but the coincidence was definitely troubling. Anyway, the east wing was unused and he would not find Timothy in it.

As soon as he entered, it became evident that the west wing had been made for Dragons. The real question was had it been remade after they had established themselves in the castle or had the Drake built it like that ? Why would they have ? Unless they were the Dragons. Damian kept seeing clues that they indeed were, but he still couldn't really believe it. All the rooms in this wing were opened, delimited by high arches and illuminated by large windows. The furniture was sparse, allowing a easy passage for the Dragon. Most of the items in the room were simply ornamental. Probably part of the Dragon's treasure. The exposed items were miscellaneous: weapons, paintings, jewels, tools, musical instruments. Some of them were of great value and very rare, Damian knew it. He recognized some of them as his own grandfather had been looking to acquire them. The old creep would like to know about this place.

He found Timothy in the library. The sight was unexpected. The idea of a beast holding a book seemed ludicrous. Yet, Timothy didn't seem bothered by the size of the book, deeply lost in his content. He stayed a few meters away from the Dragon, blatantly studying him. There was no point in hiding. Where could he have hide anyway ? There were no shadows in here only light, not like in his father castle where he could easily move unnoticed. Timothy didn't seem to mind Damian's insisting stare as he did not acknowledge his presence right away.

Here in broad daylight, when he could see the beast more clearly than ever before, yet he did not feel an ounce of fear. So why had he been so scared just a few hours ago ?  
Timothy finally put the large volume down and turned toward Damian. And the young prince immediately took a step back. One look in the Dragon eyes and the terror was back.

"You will get used to it" The deep voice made him shiver. He hadn't expected the beast to be able to speak. "Every human I met have reacted like you. It will wear off with time. All the humans in the castle and the surrounding villages have stopped fearing me. Well, Colin still doesn't dare look me in the eyes but he does it with almost everyone."

"Colin ?"

"The young cook, you have met from what Mrs. McIlvaine told me. She's the head chef."  
Damian was a bit stunned. He had mentally prepared for this discussion and he had yet to start negotiating. He didn't have time for idle chatter.

"Was there something you wanted, Damian ?"

"It's prince Damian actually, I never allowed you to call me by my name." He snapped.  
The beast didn't seem offended by Damian remark. "And what I want is to go home, I demand that you bring me back immediately !"

"I'm afraid that not possible."

"What is it that you want ? Gold ? Jewels ?"

"I have already plenty of that. I don't need anything."

"Then why did you abducted me ?" Damian was feeling angrier with every minute that passed, not only at the dragon but at himself too. He had lost his cool, losing the opportunity to manipulate the beast. He had acted like a child, unable to hold back and think before speaking.

"I didn't. I hoarded you."

"I am a person. A prince ! You cannot hoard me."

"Dragons hoard pretty things." It was said as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

"Then I will give you something beautiful when you release me."

"I doubt I could find something more beautiful than you."  
Well, that was flattering, really but Damian was a prince, heir to the throne of a great kingdom, he wasn't mean to be a kept boy. And the dragon couldn't possibly be looking for a mate, they both belonged to incompatible races in that specific matter.

"Anything you want, you can ask for."

"Except my freedom." He added bitterly.

"You can go as you want, as long as you stay in my territory. And it is large. And everything that is mine, is yours too."

"What about my family ? They will surely miss me."

"Your family ?"

"Yes, my family, stupid ! Don't you know what it is !"

"It's been a long time since I've have seen mine. Do humans require their family in order to be happy ? I guess I should have known, the other asked for it too. I will see what I can do."  
And with that, he was gone.

"Hey, I wasn't finished you dumb creature !" Damian was fuming, this hadn't gone like he had planned at all. He didn't seem any closer to getting back to Gotham.

With nothing better to do, Damian went to pick up the book Timothy had been reading. It was one written by his own father, the King. As much as he was angry at the dragon, he must admit that he had good taste. For books as for people. He took it to the room he had hidden on the first day, deciding that he would be his for the time he would have to remain here. He had already read it, but it's not as if he had many other options to keep busy.

Later in the day some kids came to his door, not daring to cross the threshold. They probably thought they were being discreet. One of them finally gathered his courage and invited him to come play with them in the front yard. At first, Damian wanted to refuse, but he had not trained for the past three days and he needed to exercise. So he offered to teach them swordplay which they agreed to excitedly. They ran outside with happy squeals and Damian followed them quietly, a small smile on his lips.  
When he finally caught up to them, they were begging a couple of young women for weapons. They were laughing at the kid's antics but were hesitant to give in to their demand.

"I will be supervising them." Damian promised and apparently it was enough to reassure the women. They led him to the armory where the weapons were surprisingly well kept, if a bit blunt. He memorized the way to find it, you never knew when you could need to fight someone or something. He hid his smile and offered the two ladies to join them which they also accepted with pleasure. So Damian led the group to a grass field so it would hurt less when they inevitably fell on the ground. At first, he made them work on their position and their balance without weapons. The kids whined a bit, wanting to battle directly but they complied nonetheless. After correcting their posture, he showed them how to hold a sword and used it smartly as to not get tired too quickly.

After an hour of lesson, he organized a mini-tournament so they could practice what they had learned so far. It came suddenly to a stop when a shadow overpassed them. The Dragon was back. And he wasn't alone. He was holding two squirming humans between his claws. Very familiar looking humans.

"Grayson ?"


End file.
